let me clarify a couple of things. For the TENTH time. A-L-L T-H-I-S I-S K-N-O-W-N T-O M-E (p-e-r-i-o-d)
You’re clarifying nothing. You’re simply paraphrasing the same point relentlessly, over and over and over.
I understand our differences now. Brian, I advise you to not discuss matters like this in the future because your understanding is unripe, immature and naive.
Have you noticed that as I began to body slam you on issue after issue, you stopped providing new material? Further, that you stopped responding to ANY, not ONE of my points or refutations?
Have you noticed how the tone of your writing has changed? You went from common flamer to aloof sage. You’re using more vocabulary words too.
And now, you’re getting on your high horse, ending with a BLOODY GROUNDLESS attack on my experience.
Dear me, how sad.
Could you even, for one moment, try and back up your assertions? You know, this reminds me of a football player and a tai chi master. I (the hefty football player) charge straight into you (the tai chi master), and as I press against you, you give. You give and so I keep charging, straight through you..and I keep doing this and doing this, yet my body pushes nothing. Look. It takes TWO willing partners to argue. You’re NOT arguing, you’re NOT debating. You’re wasting my time, and the truth be told, you’re exhausting me. I actually feel mentally exhausted from this conversation at this moment. (even though it is almost 5am!)
You’re ‘Playing the Tao’ with me, like a matador, and I must say, you’re quite good at it. (Actually, that is a sincere complement!) I know that weakness always wins out over strength, and so..I should probably wizen up to your style. (And yes, I treat everything in life as a game) 
You are not seeking Liberation or Self-Realization, you are seeking self-actualization.
More specifically, I am looking for the practical benefits of enlightenment...without the enlightenment.
It’s kind of like relationships at my age. All any guy wants my age is sex, right? (9 times out of 10). Well, we have to go through the ridiculous courtship rules and dating scene and spend tons of money, time, and energy..and for what? That 5 seconds of euphoria. Well, what I seek is to skip all that formality, and to just get in and get out, as it were, on demand. Okay okay, this is a crass example, but it illustrates my designs.
This website has become an old friend of late. It’s the 10 Bulls of Zen, which chronicles The Path. http://www.cs.sfu.ca/people/ResearchStaff/jamie/personal/10_Bulls/Table_of_Contents.html
step inside and I’ll share with you my master plan.
Here is my makeshift interpretation..
Bull #1: The Search for the Bull
this is ignorance ..lost in thinking simple perception is reality
Bull #2: Discovering the Footprints
this is essentially 'intellectually understanding the path' (it begins with ‘reason’)
Bull #3: Perceiving the Bull
this is essentially 'living in the flow state'. –predominantly alpha waves, some theta.
Bull #4: Catching the Bull
this is essentially 'disciplining your mind so it does what it's told'
Bull #5: Taming the Bull
this is essentially 'geniushood'
Bull #6: Riding the Bull Home
this is losing oneself in people and ones work
Okay, 'I'm in flow, I take decisive action, I'm a genius.' Natural Brilliance, Binaural Beats, maybe Nootropics... they can take me here, and indeed are currently moving me through bull #4 It should be the short matter of a handful of months before I reach my goal of Bull #6.
That’s what I want. This is pragmatic spirituality to me. This is *FUNCTIONAL ENLIGHTENMENT*. And unlike the real thing, it is eminently attainable. I don’t need silence, I don’t need to remove myself from the world or from earthly pleasures or from fun or from my success goals. I don’t need 20 years. I don’t need tai chi. I don’t need philosophy or any more books. All I need is two 30 minute .mp3s to play before and after sleep.
I mean, how else can spirituality serve me at this tender age of 20?
What is spirituality to me? Spirituality is:
a. Being in the flow state 24/7. (flow)
b. Perpetually doing the Right Thing (action) based on my Intuition (genius).
Now, as I see it, this is as far as I want to go if I want to maintain an East/West balance—borrowing the Super-powers of the East while striving and thriving Western-style. In order to go past this, I'd have to forego distraction and dedicate my life to absolute truth seeking. This would require SILENCE. And non-stimulation. It may be decades before I even want to reach this—and it would certainly be *after* I have done what I came here to do...Contributed something fantastic.
(I also don’t think it would be *possible* to go any further with my current pragmatic mindset..I’d have give up desire for one thing. I’d have to give up the pursuit..and I’m not prepared to do that just yet. Those who desire to become enlightened in order to become ‘Supermen’ cannot get past this point—but why would they want to—at least until their mortality nears?)
Bull #7: body transcended
Bull #8: ego transcended -- empty Zen Circle, ‘I create the world’
Bull #9: Reaching the Source
godhead. Pure spirit. TRUE enlightenment experienced. Pure Taoism. Eternal peace. Eternal life. No more distinction between mind/body/others/environment. All form is one.
Bull #10: In the World
pure selflessness. pure bliss. share good things and good times with others. there is no higher purpose.
